Spiros T. Voyadzis
Following 25 years of distinguished service as a staff member,
manager, and senior manager at the World Bank in Washington D.C. Spiros
Voyadzis resigned from the World Bank on March 1, 2000 to become a Partner
and Executive Vice President of World Business Inc. (a Washington D.C.-based
US company). He took up his new functions on July 1, 2000.
Spiros Voyadzis joined the World Bank in December 1975.
His career began as a Loan/Officer Economist in the MENA--Middle East
and North Africa --Region primarily working as the main Bank interlocutor
with the Algerian and Omani Governments and donors.
Mr. Voyadzis took up his latest appointment for the World
Bank as Special Representative to the European Union Institutions in Brussels
in January, 1996. He actually opened the Bank's Brussels office and was
its very first Director. As such, he was in charge of the World Bank's
operational cooperation with the European Commission (EC), the European
Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD). This cooperation exceeded $1.4 billion per year and was geared
primarily in Eastern and Central Europe-countries ranging from Russia,
to the accession to the EU states, to the Balkans-but also in the Mediterranean
countries, and in Africa.
Prior to bringing his expertise to the Brussels office,
Mr. Voyadzis headed Country Operations Divisions in the Operational Complex
of the World Bank. He led the Bank's operational activities for Egypt,
Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and Gaza and Yemen. The focus
of his activities, managing a large team of staff, ranged from designing,
and assisting Governments implement the agreed, country development and
lending strategies, conducting economic and sector work, mobilizing aid
coordination efforts, project financing, and managing macro-economic and
sectoral adjustment operations. He played a key role in the discussions
with the Governments of Egypt and Jordan on private sector development,
including privatization issues. He has also participated as keynote speaker
in many seminars where these types of issues were discussed. He has repeatedly
lectured at the College de l'Europe in Brugge, at the Economics Departments
of the Universities of Brussels and Louvain, and at the Maastricht Institutes
for Administration and Development.
From 1984-1989 Mr. Voyadzis headed the Country Operations
Division for Venezuela and the Caribbean countries where, apart from similar
activities mentioned above, he revitalized the influential Consultative
Group for Cooperation and Economic Development for the Caribbean.
In addition to the positions mentioned, Mr. Voyadzis served
as Chairman of the Staff Association of the World Bank where he arbitrated
and negotiated between staff and senior management. He also served on
the Bank-wide Reorganization Task Force in 1987 where a small group of
senior Bank staff were selected to devise a new Bank structure. He has
served on several other professional Bank committees and working groups.
Mr. Voyadzis' pre-Bank experience centered as a civilian
Economist in the NATO Economic Directorate from 1969-1975 where he analyzed
economic developments and public finance issues for The Netherlands, Portugal
and Luxembourg. Prior to that period he was a Young Professional at the
Bank of Brussels/Lambert in Belgium.
Mr. Voyadzis, amongst others, has published "The Economic
and Industrial Development of Greece during the 60's"; "Luxembourg
Steel Industry and its Perspectives"; "Inflation: a problem?";
and "The Public Sector Enterprises in Algeria".
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Mr. Voyadzis is Greek. He holds
an Honors Master's Degree (Magnum Cum Laude) in Economics, Political and
Social Sciences from the University of Brussels, Belgium, and a specialization
in Public Finance.
He and his wife, Claudine, have a daughter and a son, Sandra
and Jean-Marc. Spiros Voyadzis is fluent in Greek, English, French, and
has some knowledge of Spanish.
July, 2000
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